And Then There Were Six
by Lucerna Tenebris
Summary: A sequel to my previous RotG fanfic Whispers on the Wind. You'll most likely want to try reading that first. If not, Rona Valentine, the Witch of the Wind, has to answer for her actions, and it may cost her her friends, her love and even her life. Rated M for language and possible sexual content. PitchxOC
1. Chapter 1

**(If you haven't already noticed, this is a sequel to a previous fanfic. I would highly recommend reading that one first, then coming back to this. Link is at the bottom).**

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**Chapter 1**

**In Which I Lace A Corset**

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Autumn had taken over in the town. The warmth of summer had faded and the days got shorter. People erected scarecrows in their yards, haunted houses in their garages, even a corn maze in town square. Every convenience store now carried bags of individually wrapped candy and cheap masks. The slight August breezes had been replaced by a chilly wind that left traces of frost on red leaves in the morning.

That wasn't because it just happened to be particularly cold, though. This town just happened to be visited regularly by Jack Frost himself. You believe in Jack Frost, right? You should. He's real. They're all real; Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, heck even the Groundhog! How do I know? I'm the Witch of the Wind. How did I get this way? I died.

I won't bother you with the details, but the basics are that I was in a nearby city and ended up taking a high dive off a tall building. A month later I woke up and the Man in the Moon (yeah, he's real too) told me what I was. I walked back to my town and my apartment was cleared out, my best friend was blaming herself and my name was on a grave marker.

_Rona Valentine_

_Beloved daughter, sister and friend_

_May 28__th__ 1994-November 6__th__ 2012_

It's been almost a full year and it still creeps me out to look at it. But I've come to terms with it. Besides, it came with some perks. I can fly now, and control the wind. I can even cast spells. Most people can't see me anymore, sort of like I'm a ghost, but if someone believes in me they can see me. Like Ashley, my best friend. After the incident a few months back Jack and Jamie got her to believe in me so she could see me.

The 'incident'? Oh, nothing too big, I just saved the world. Well, maybe not the world. But it was still kind of a big deal. I had become friends with the Guardians, that is some of the supernatural creatures specially chosen by the Man in the Moon to protect the children of the world. The Guardians are Santa, or North as he prefers to be called, the Easter Bunny (Bunny) the Tooth Fairy (Toothiana or Tooth) and the Sandman who we call Sandy. Oh, and Jack Frost. He's still pretty new, though.

In fact, he was only chosen as a Guardian when Pitch Black, the Boogeyman, rose up against them to destroy the children's belief. They stopped him, obviously, or I wouldn't be telling this story. They thought he was dead for a while, but one day they found him snooping around the North Pole, and that's when everything started going wrong.

Turns out a girl named Envy had been whispering to him, urging him to attack the Guardians. When he was captured, she started whispering to the Guardians themselves, turning them against one another. With the help of Mother Nature I was able to break the spell on Pitch and break him out so we could track her down.

In the end, she put a spell on me that ended with me killing her. There's no other way to put it, no going around it. I killed someone. Without Ashley's support I'm not sure what I would have done, having to live with that.

Especially since Pitch thought I had cast a spell on him to make him love me. I hadn't, but I cast another spell under the pretense of breaking the previous spell to make him hate me. It was probably one of the most painful things I've ever had to do. I haven't seen him since.

Since then, I've been traveling a lot. Sometimes I take Ashley with me, or Jack will tag along, but lately I've been alone a lot. It gives me time to think, but sometimes that isn't the best thing. When my mind starts taking me where I don't want it to, I now it's time to go back to Ashley. She'll always pull me out of it.

I've been practicing my spells, too. It comes a lot easier to me now, calling up emotions using memories and using that to fuel magic. It's incredible to see; Ashley says it reminds her of that song from Pocahontas; the colors of the wind.

I wonder what it looked like when I put that last spell on Pitch? It was months ago and I still missed him. Sometimes I could even hear him calling me 'little witch' with that sarcastic affection of his…

"Hey! Pouty! Help me lace this up!" I smiled and shook my head as Ashley pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, sure." It was Halloween night finally. I'd always loved Halloween. This time last year Ashley and I had gotten dressed in identical witch costumes (the irony doesn't escape me). We wore matching black miniskirts, ripped tights, heeled boots, black corsets and pointy hats. This year we'd made some modifications.

I was still in the clothes I'd worn when I died; a long black coat, dark wash jeans, black shoes. But I didn't need to dress like a witch; I was one. Ashley was wearing a long black skirt this year, and a black lace overcoat with long sleeves that only tied across the chest. Underneath was the corset from last year, which she was having some trouble with.

I pulled the strings tighter from behind her and she squealed, "Not so tight!" I rolled my eyes at her and loosened it a bit, then tied it. She turned with her arms out. "Well?" "You look nice. Kind of gothic, but sort of elegant at the same time." She sighed dramatically.

"And it's wasted. I can't believe I have to bring Matt trick-or-treating. Why can't Aunt Maureen do it herself?"

"Because she's working tonight?"

"Yeah, but why do _I_ have to do it?"

"Because you're a nice person. And you can't resist free candy." Ash pushed me lightly.

"Why do you have to use reasonable arguments?" I laughed.

"Because you don't!"

"Not yet, but just wait until I finish school!" Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that Ashley had enrolled in college? It was a big step for the former party-girl. I was excited for her, but at the same time a bit jealous that she was going to move on with her life and I never would. Before it had been my goal to go to college, grad school, get a good job and live well. At least I got to sit in with her during classes, and study with her. It was a good quasi-education.

A loud bang caught both of our attentions, and we left the bedroom. Matt was in the small living room of Ashley's apartment, throwing a tantrum because they hadn't left yet. "All the good candy will be gone!" He whined and complained until Ashley threatened to tell his mother, then went to finish her makeup.

A coat of dark red lipstick later and we were out the door.

* * *

The wind carried me behind them, kicking up leaves and making the trees creak ominously. I thought it was a pretty good effect for Halloween. We had been out for about an hour, and Matt was still just as hyper as he was when we'd started. I figured he'd snuck a few pieces of candy even though we hadn't checked it to make sure it was safe yet.

It was a good thing we'd gone with Matt; I caught sight of three older kids grabbing other kid's bags and hitting them if they fought back.

"Kids really suck, huh?" Ashley glanced at me and I gestured to them, grinning. "Want to get involved?" "Oh hell yes."

A skeleton, a pirate and Edward Cullen had almost finished mugging Frankenstein on an unlit part of the street when a woman's voice stopped them.

"Leave him be." Ashley stood there, hands on her hips, the wind whipping around her. I had to hand it to her; she looked really witch-like.

"Or what?" Sneered the Twi-idiot. Ashley grinned madly. "Don't you know who I am?"

"A weirdo!" The pirate supplied, and his friends laughed. Ashley's laughter mocked theirs.

"No. I'm the Witch of the Wind." With that, the wind picked up, lifting her off the ground as she raised her arms towards them. The kids screamed and began running, the wind pushing them along even faster. Only Frankenstein was left. He blinked a few times, grabbed his trick-or-treat bag and stammered a thank you before running back towards him mother.

Ashley and I high-fived, laughing hysterically. "That was awesome! Man, I love Halloween!"

I looked around the street to make sure no one had seen us, and my smile faded as I realized that I couldn't see a certain someone at all.

"Ashley, where's Matt?"

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**Yeah, yeah, it took my forever to start this story again. I had a lot more trouble writing it than I did Whispers on the Wind. ****Hope you like it! Please review, favorite and follow if you do!**

**If you're looking for the first story, Whispers on the Wind, click here - s/9203834/1/Whispers-on-the-Wind**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**In Which I Do _Not_ Eat a Tootsie Roll**

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"Matt? MATT!" Ashley was running up and down the street screaming for her little cousin while I flew higher, searching for a ten-year old in a cardboard robot costume. There were too many children around all of the sudden. The streets were full of strangers, masked people, unidentifiable threats. A chill went down my spine as I flew closer to the crowd, hovering just over their heads.

"Where did you go?.." I muttered to myself, looking from house to house. He had to be somewhere. Finally I caught a glance of peeling silver paint on old cardboard. _Matt!_

He was standing in front of an open door, holding out his pillowcase expectantly. A man smiled down at him, reaching out to drop a handful of tootsie rolls to drop in. As I watched, a tall dark figure with grey skin stepped up behind the man, his smile far more menacing. Matt's face turned pale and he screamed, tripping over himself to get away.

I couldn't stop staring at the person who had scared him. Pitch Black, the King of Nightmares. My heart skipped a beat, and not because I was scared. It hurt to look at him, I realized. I had missed him, his acerbic sense of humor and the way he had protected me even though he barely knew me. He had taken care of me when I was unconscious and seen me at my worst.

But he was scared of his feelings for me. There was no other explanation for it than that. My vision blurred and I looked away, blinking back tears. My mind barely even registered that Matt had run to Ashley and was clinging to her now. All I could focus on was a shadow that was creeping through the yard.

Before I could second-guess myself, I flew over and blocked his path, my pain turning to anger.

"What the hell was that? You're back to scaring children for no reason now? And my best friend's cousin of all people? What is your problem?!" I reached into the shadow, shoving at where I figured his shoulders would be. He materialized in front of me, frowning.

"My actions are not your concern, witch." I tried not to wince at the coldness in his voice.

"They are when you're targeting the people around me." He tried to step around me but I got in his way again.

"I was not the one targeting him. If you don't believe me…" He gestured to the ground where the candy had fallen. "Take a closer look." I scowled and knelt down, picking up a piece of candy. The wrapper was loose. It took a moment for that to click, but Pitch beat me to the punch.

"That man was a register sex offender and pedophile. The candy is drugged. He knew that Matt's mother would not be home tonight, but he would be." I frowned and kept looking at the candy, not wanting to look up at him again.

"You're just like the others. You automatically assume I'm doing something wrong, using fear as a weapon rather than a necessary protection." I could hear the disgust in his voice.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed, I just-" He was already gone. _Shit._

* * *

Back at Ashley's apartment, I had convinced her to send an anonymous tip to the police about it and convince Matt's mother to let him spend the night there. We were locked up together in her room with Matt sleeping on the couch the next room over.

"So… Are you okay?"

"What? I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" Ashley gave me a you-know-what-I'm-talking-about look.

"Maybe nothing happened between you two, but we both know there was something major there. Seeing him can't have helped. So are you okay?"

"No, not really. It hurt a lot more than I expected. And he.." I swallowed, trying to get the words out without crying again, "He was so cold and distant. Even before, when he was under Envy's spell he didn't act like that."

"Well, he thinks you messed with his head. I think you should just break the spell on him and see what happens." I shook my head.

"It doesn't matter. I don't think he'll ever trust me again." _Even if I hadn't messed up tonight he probably wouldn't…_

Ashley gave me a hug and grabbed two fun-size candy bars out of a bowl next to her bed, handing one to me.

"It's nothing copious amounts of chocolate can't solve." I gave her a weak laugh and hugged her.

"Thanks, Ash."

* * *

It wasn't long before she was asleep too, and I slipped out the window, careful to close it behind me. I flew north, straight to the pole. The yeti were busy building toys, as always, and the elves were scampering around with plates of cookies or slapdash dolls. I snatched a snickerdoodle off a plate and sat down on a railing to watch the globe. It was a good place to sit and think without thinking too much. There was so much activity constantly happening. Toys were being designed, assembled, carefully handpainted, packed.

It wasn't long before Phil came up with a cup of hot chocolate to offer, most likely from North. He and I hadn't spoken much since what happened with Envy, but he let me come to the pole whenever I wanted and sent me as much food and drink as I needed. He didn't need to talk to me, and I appreciated his silent support.

Thankfully Jack Frost wasn't here tonight. I really wasn't in the mood for fun.

_What would happen if I broke the spell? Would he want me again? Or has too much happened? After all, before he didn't want to care about me. _I closed my eyes, focusing and shutting out the noise surrounding me. _Even if he did want me, what then?_

My mind wandered to a fantasy; Pitch and I, together. Would he be romantic or more intense? Somehow I couldn't imagine him holding my hand, except maybe… All of the sudden an image flashed through my mind of our fingers intertwined him on top of me, undressed…

My eyes flew open, and my face felt hot. I must have been blushing pretty hard. _Woah. Where did that come from?.. _I wasn't exactly a virgin, but it was still completely out of character for me to be overly passionate or physically aggressive. I looked around and then shook my head, embarrassed even though they couldn't possibly know my thoughts.

_I need some more cookies._ I hopped down from the railing and set off in search of chocolate chip.

* * *

A woman, scantily clad and almost impossibly voluptuous, stood next to an obese man. They were quite the odd couple. No doubt if people could see them they would have gotten some double takes. They were waiting for their brothers and siblings. As they waited, the man pulled a half-melted candy bar out of his pocket and unwrapped it. The woman rolled her eyes and snorted, but he ignored her, devouring it in less than three seconds.

Finally they were joined by four others, two men and two women. One of the women was dressed all in red, the other was dripping in precious metals and gemstones. One of the men carried himself well, chin high and wearing an expensive suit. The last man wore a stained sweatsuit.

The six of them spoke quietly amongst themselves, sharing the latest and most important information. They had found who they were looking for, and they were susceptible. They would take immediate action. "No", says the woman in jewels, "First we take everything she has." "No", replies both the man in the suit and the woman in red, "We've waited long enough." The man in the sweatsuit just shrugs and sits down next to his obese friend.

They continue to argue amongst themselves until the curvy woman speaks up, suggesting a compromise. She had seen something when she had tested her powers on the girl. Something that would give them power over her. "A quick death" she reasons, "Would give no satisfaction. We can take our time. Have a little fun with her first."

They all seem to find this agreeable, and begin to plan. Then they go their separate ways.

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**Uh, oh, ominous character meeting. Raise your hand if you already know who they are. If your hand isn't up right now, you probably still haven't read the first story. Why are you still reading this, go read that instead, I promise this will make a LOT more sense. s/9203834/1/Whispers-on-the-Wind**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**In Which I Smash a Pumpkin**

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_The world around me was dark. Black mixed with dark blue, creating a visible swirling wind that wrapped around me. The landscape was bleak, the only visible structures were broken, the ground cracked and dry. The air felt suffocating and I couldn't change it. I was alone. I was scared. _

"_Hello?" The echo of my voice was the only answer. The air closed in on my even tighter and I started to feel claustrophobic even though I was standing in the open. My heart began to pound, blood racing through my veins. Breathing became difficult, my lungs ached from trying to inhale and the world around me seemed to be spinning. _

_Suddenly, a hand was resting on my hip, steadying me. The hand was grey, connected to an arm clad in black. My gaze followed up that arm as I turned to face him. A long dark robe that seemed to swallow all light, a robe I knew from experience was warm and had the scent of damp stone and moss. Grey skin continued underneath, a lean chest bared in the part of the robe below a thick neck, up to a sharp jawline, an aquiline nose and hypnotizing eyes that changed from golden to silver at will. _

_He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. I reached out and touched his cheek. Real._

_The landscape didn't seem so terrible now. The bleakness was gone, the emptiness creating an intimacy that intensified each touch. _

"_Rona." I shivered at the sound of his voice. His arms found their way around my waist and I leaned back against him, closing my eyes. He felt so wonderful; I'd missed his touch. I'd forgotten how comforting he could be when he wasn't so mean. I'd forgotten how cold his hands were. _Wait, what?

_I looked down to the arms around my waist. The hands were pale now, the sleeves of his jacket blue and laced with frost. I turned to face him, his beautiful blue eyes, a soft smile and messy white hair. The cold only made me press myself closer to him, and he just held me tighter. _

"_Rona." He had brought back my best friend, stayed by me even when I had sided with his enemy, even when I had killed someone. He accepted me, taught me how to fly, helped me to smile again when I felt alone. _

_Our lips met; his were even softer than they looked. The cold felt refreshing in contrast to the hot air that had suffocated me earlier. We had barely stopped our first kiss when our second started, our lips parting. I felt just a hint of teeth on my lower lip and pulled back in shock. He grinned at me, mischievous as always. I grinned and kissed him again, returning the light bite. _

_Both of our lips parted in the next kiss, a hint of cold slipping between my teeth as he deepened the kiss. I felt one of his hands tangle in my hair, keeping our lips pressed together, the other hand resting at the small of my back. I couldn't have escaped the embrace if I wanted to. And I didn't._

_I wanted more._

* * *

"WAKE UP!"

"Gyah!" I fell off the table before I could stop myself, landing on the floor in an ungraceful heap. I blinked a few times, my heart beating fast and not from being startled. _What the hell was that?.._ I looked up into a grinning face; the one I'd just been dreaming of. _Oh my god._ My face felt so hot my cheeks might as well have been on fire.

"Hey, what were you dreaming about?" Jack flipped up and crouched on the top of his staff, grinning still." I stood up and brushed myself off, looking down at my clothing to avoid looking him in the eye.

"I wasn't dreaming. I was just taking a nap to pass the time."

"Riiiight, so you just normally talk when you're napping?" _Oh. My. God. _

"I was talking?" _Please, please, please… _"What'd I say?"

"Hah, so you WERE dreaming! You didn't really say much, nothing I could understand anyways. You drooled, though." I grimaced and wiped at my mouth. "No I didn't…" He laughed at me and jumped down.

"So, any plans for the day? Day after Halloween is always one of my favorites. Ever smashed a frozen pumpkin?" I grinned and finally looked him in the face, managing to not get flustered. _It was just a stupid dream, it didn't mean anything._

"Sounds like fun."

* * *

The pumpkin patch wasn't abandoned, per se. Someone had dropped a pumpkin and forgotten about it years ago, and the seeds had spread, flourished. The cycle continued each year until the growth had reached the treelines on both ends of the field. It was quite a sight.

Jack and I landed in the middle of the field, me on the ground and him on a pumpkin. Frost spread over it in a lace-like pattern. Once it was completely covered, he hopped down and gave it a little kick. It sounded hollow now. He grinned and lifted his staff above his head, bringing it down with a sharp 'crack'. Pieces of frozen pumpkin went flying everywhere, including Jack's hair. I laughed and decided not to tell him about it.

He tapped two more with the end of his staff, then stepped aside. "Your turn."

"Don't mind if I do." I stepped up and kicked it as hard as I could. The sides of the pumpkin shattered, mirroring what my foot felt like. "Ooooow!"

"Oops." Jacks grinned again. "Should've warned you that the pumpkins are pretty hard when they're frozen."

I glared at him and he shrugged. "Hey, you could have told me about this." He pulled the chunk of now-melting pumpkin out of his hair.

"Touche." I laughed, then turned to the other pumpkin.

"Ever tried this?"

* * *

Pitch fumed silently as he watched her fly, holding a frozen pumpkin. When she reached around 150 feet she suddenly dropped it. It hit the ground and exploded, and she laughed. So did her new friend. He laughed with her, flew with her, and although the mischievous didn't notice her stolen glances and the blush on her cheeks, he did. And it only made him angrier. He could feel the wrath inside his gut, burning and fighting to be released.

The longer he watched Jack and Rona together, the more it hurt. He wanted to run out there, to take Rona away from Jack and keep her somewhere where she wouldn't see him again. He wanted to keep her for himself. His fists clenched as Jack lightly punched Rona in the shoulder. How dare he touch her?

"She… is… MINE."

* * *

I glanced over at the treeline, rubbing at the back of my neck and frowning.

"You hear that?"

"Hear what?" Jack sat down on a pumpkin next to me. I glanced over at him and then looked away quickly. As much as I told myself that it was just a dream, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Never mind. It was probably nothing."

* * *

Rona had been acting strangely lately. He didn't know when exactly it had started, but he was happy to see her smiling again. He liked to see her smile. And hear her laugh. And spend time with her. He was glad she'd agreed to go with him today. He hoped that if they spent more time together, alone, she would stop thinking about Pitch. That maybe she'd start thinking about him like that.

The dream he'd had last night was so vivid, so real. It had been the first dream he'd had in nearly three decades. But he didn't want it to just be a dream. He wanted to make it real. He wanted to kiss her.

"You hear that?" She was frowning and rubbing at the back of her neck. It drew his attention to her hair. He wanted to run his hands through it. He sat down on a pumpkin, still looking at her hair. "Hear what?"

"Never mind. It was probably nothing." She looked back at him a smile. He loved it when she smiled at him like that. He wanted her.

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**Whew, got a bit hot and heavy in there. Please review, follow and favorite if you're enjoying the story!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**In Which I Climb A Tree**

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After there were no more pumpkins left intact (Jack was right, it was a lot of fun to drop a frozen pumpkin from 100 ft) he left for Burgess with a promise to drop by soon. He was going to help me find my own place to stay; most of the spirits had someplace. He had his lake in Burgess, Bunny had the Warren, and even the Groundhog had a preferred stump. Jack would help me find a place to call home.

Until then, I was headed back up to the North Pole; Ashley had a date today and specifically did not want me following her around, and since she could see me and had no qualms about throwing things at me I was willing to give her a day alone. Besides, I wanted to ask about getting presents for Ashley this year.

Christmas preparations were in full swing at the Pole. North was up in his office according to the yetis. Apparently, the normal amount of letters to Santa had doubled in the past week. It was absolute insanity not only in his office but in the workshops where the yetis were trying to keep up with the increased demand.

"I bet he could use some help with those letters…" I muttered to myself, flying through the crowded halls to his door. I knocked and waited for a second to see if he would answer before letting myself in.

"Heya North, what's… oh wow." North looked up from the mountain of papers, scowling at the interruption.

"Hello Rona, I am busy right now. Please go, I need to finish this quickly." His tone was brisk, almost dismissive.

"Yeah, I figured you might want some help." He scoffed at me.

"Help?" He stood up, indignant. "You think I cannot handle this myself? I have been reading these letters for years, and every year I bring each child what they want, and you think I need help? Go, have cookies, do something else, I do not have time for play today."

I slumped out of the office, grumbling under my breath, "Sheesh, no need to be rude." Then again, he was trying to work, he was probably just stressed. After all, Bunny got way finicky around Easter.

I looked around the Pole; there was movement everywhere. Everyone was doing something, completely focused on their own projects. There wasn't really anything for me to do here. No one even noticed when I flew off.

* * *

I was standing in the top branches of a pine tree, staring out at the sunset. I hadn't spoken to anyone in hours, and it was starting to really get to me. I had never liked being alone, and now it especially bothered me. I wished I could go talk to Ashley, but she was probably still out at dinner, or at a movie. I was a bit jealous, as much as it hurt to admit. She would get to have a normal life, get to date guys and have healthy, normal relationships. She wouldn't have to be alone. It was times like this I missed Pitch the most. He wouldn't coddle me, or let me wallow in self-pity for long. After what had happened with Envy, he kept me anchored while I was in shock, held me and let me know I wasn't alone. I felt really alone right now…

My mind drifted back to that dream, idly wondering how Jack would comfort me. Would he just try to cheer me up by distracting me? No, there was more to him than that. Would he hold me? Would the cold feel as wonderful as it had in that dream? I shook my head, blushing. _I shouldn't think about him like that. He's just a friend. Besides, do I really want to try that again after what happened with Pitch?.._

I sighed and sat on the branch with my back to the trunk, curling up and hugging my knees to my chest. The sun had set now, it was starting to get dark and cold. I closed my eyes.

"I miss you, Pitch."

Suddenly the branch I was sitting on broke. My eyes flew open, but I hit the branch below me before I could stop my fall and the wind was knocked out of my lungs. The world around me was a dark blur. The next branch hit me in the head and I saw stars. Silvery-golden stars. Then I wasn't falling anymore.

My head hurt so badly I couldn't think. I could barely keep my eyes open. I rested my head against a warm shoulder and passed out.

* * *

Pitch set Rona down at the base of the tree. He had been watching her still when she had said his name. She seemed so sad, and it made his chest ache to see her like that. He hadn't even made the conscious decision to catch her when she had fallen. The instant she had hit her head he reached out for her, caught her. It was so familiar to him, holding her. Her hair smelled the exact way he had remembered. It felt the way it had when he had been under her spell.

He frowned. Was it possible she had cast another spell on him? No, she hadn't known he was there. She was unconscious.

Was it real? If it was… Would she still want him? He reached down and touched her cheek gently. She would wake up soon. He stepped back to leave, but was thrown to the ground sudden by Jack Frost. He rolled onto his back, trying to get to his feet, but Jack had his staff pointed at his throat.

"What the hell did you do?" He was furious, but his expression softened at the sound of Rona groaning, starting to come to. He looked towards her, and Pitch escaped into the shadows.

* * *

My head hurt, my side hurt… Actually, I don't think there was a single part of my body that DIDN'T hurt.

"Ugh…" I tried to sit up, but two hands on my shoulder held me down.

"Careful, you're bleeding." I opened my eyes to see Jack kneeling next to me. He looked really worried. I tried to smile at him reassuringly but he just frowned.

"What did he do?"

"Huh? What did who do?"

"Pitch. He was here, standing over you and you were unconscious." He was angry, but I was just confused. Pitch was here? Had he caught me? I looked up. The branch I had fallen from was very high up; experience told me it would have hurt a lot more if I'd fallen the entire distance.

"The branch broke…" I closed my eyes again. "I hit my head. My side hurts too." Something cold was pressed to my forehead and I smiled.

"Heh. You're my personal ice pack, huh?" I felt him laugh at me.

"Let's not make a habit of it, okay?" I nodded in agreement and reached up, grabbing his hoodie and tugging lightly. He moved closer and put his arms around me. It helped a lot. _It kinda does feel like it did in that dream. _

"Are you alright?" I nodded. "I just want to sleep it off."

"Okay." I fell back asleep with Jack holding me.

* * *

**Yeah, yeah, they're cute together. Don't get used to it! Mwahahaha! Please favorite and follow if you're enjoying so far!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**In Which I Try (Really Hard) Not to Laugh**

* * *

I managed to get back to Ashley's shortly after midnight. She would probably be on her date still, but I needed to talk to her about what happened ASAP.

Surprisingly, she was lying in bed watching television when I flew in through the open window. I quickly closed it behind me; it was way too cold to leave open. Ashley was wearing her pajamas, on open bottle of nail polish on the bedside table, toenails half-finished. But she wasn't painting them; the paint had long since dried. She was just staring blankly at the screen.

I waved at her, called her name, even snapped my fingers in front of her face, but she didn't respond at all until I walked right in front of her and blocked her view of the tv.

"Oh. Hey Rona."

"Hey, Ashley." I waited for her to react, but she just blinked.

"What's up with you?" She shrugged.

"Dunno. Just tired."

"Ooookay… How was the date? Shitty?"

"Nah, I didn't go."

"Wait, what? Why not?" She shrugged again.

"Didn't feel like it."

I stared at her, but it wasn't entirely unlike Ash to blow something off like that. I had thought she'd become more responsible in the past months, but then again change isn't immediate or absolute. Besides, I needed to tell her what happened with Jack.

"So get this…"

* * *

"And then you totally did it."

"No way-"

"But you wanted to; admit it!" I didn't answer, but I could feel my face turning bright red and she laughed triumphantly.

"Hah, I knew it! Don't be embarrassed, Jack is pretty cute. Besides, this is good, it means you're finally getting over you-know-who." I frowned at that.

"I don't know… Jack is great and all, but we're friends. Good friends. I don't want to ruin that by having feelings for him. He probably just thinks of me as a friend, too." I cringed. "It's gonna be really awkward next time we see each other."

"What, because you fell asleep while he was holding you?" I nodded.

"Honestly, Rona, I thought you were the smart one. He definitely likes you. Why else would anyone put up with your snoring?"

"I do not snore!" I picked up a pillow and smacked her upside the head with it.

All intelligent conversation essentially ceased after that.

* * *

I spent the next two days in hiding. Jack and I had been planning to go looking for a place for me to call my home on a more permanent basis, but I was still too embarrassed to face him. So instead I flew out on my own early the next morning, taking care not to go anywhere predictable or follow any pattern.

I traveled to Greece first, which was even more beautiful than the postcards made it seem. I visited the youth hostel my sister went to once, the one with the best view of the cliffs. It was pretty impressive, but nothing compared to the view at the very top of the cliffs, too unstable for most people to walk to. It would have been perfect, except that there was no shelter.

And so I moved on the next day to Australia. Warm, beautiful, deadly, terrifying, why-the-hell-are-there-so-many-spiders Australia. No thank you.

* * *

Three days later I found myself in Ireland. It was colder than I had been expecting, and I made so to keep a layer of warm air around me. I explored the old, forgotten places of Southern Ireland, and found myself drawn to an old, abandoned house in Wicklow. It was called, somewhat ironically, Windgate House. Some of the windows were empty, but the walls were in decent shape, and it was near a large, open field as well as a forest.

I felt at home there. It was peaceful, if a bit isolated.

Then I heard an accented voice coming from the forest.

_Maybe not as isolated as I thought…_

I ignored the voice for a while, but curiosity got the best of me. I hadn't seen any cars nearby, nor other houses. Who was wandering around in the woods?

The answer came in the form of a somewhat short man with bright red hair, dressed all in green. I nearly laughed when I saw him, he was the absolute stereotype of a leprechaun. Which made a lot more sense when he turned and addressed me directly.

"And what are you smirking about? If you're gonna be around here, the least you could do is help!" I blinked, shocked at the rather abrupt greeting (if it could even be called a greeting). However, it helped me get past the hilarity of his clothing and notice that he had been fixing a small door in the base of a rather large tree. Inside I could just barely see a set of spiral stairs that led into the ground.

"Are you gonna stand there staring or are you going to help?" Oh, right. The door.

Silently, I stepped forward and grabbed the corner of the door, lifting it and holding it in place so her could finished securing the hinges. It was a lot heavier than it looked, now I understood why he had demanded help instead of my name. Within the minute that I held it, my arms began to ache and burn. I couldn't have been more thankful when he finally stepped back and said 'Done.'

I flexed my arms a bit, stretching them out, and then waved at the leprechaun.

"Hello, I'm Rona."

"Oh, yes, the Witch of the Wind, yes?" I blinked.

"Uh, yes. You've heard of me?"

"I have. I like to keep tabs on what is happening with the other spirits." He stared at me and I squirmed, a bit uncomfortable with his directness. He seemed to be assessing me.

Then I blinked and he was gone.

"Huh?" The door opened and he waved to me from inside.

"Come on in, would you like something to drink? Do you take your tea with sugar or honey?"

"How did you-?"

"You're not the only one with magic." He disappeared down the stairs. I shrugged and followed him down into a surprisingly large chamber. The walls were simple wood, unfinished but smooth to the touch. There were two tables, a small round one with three chairs around it. The other was long, rectangular and lower to the ground, with eight chairs neatly pushed in.

He hurried over to the far corner of the room, where there was a new-looking stove and an old icebox, as well as some cabinets. He pulled out an old teapot and set it on the stovetop and turned it on (how did he get electricity down here?) and put some dry, crushed leaves into it.

I sat down at the round table and looked around. The room was sparsely decorated; no bed, nothing on the walls, not even a desk. Just the tables and the little kitchen area. It was very quiet down here, disconcertingly so.

"So, what's your name?" I couldn't just call him 'leprechaun', right?"

"Patrick." I barely managed to stop myself from laughing, disguising it as a cough instead. He just sighed, having gotten this reaction many times before.

"Yes, I know. There's a reason that leprechauns are always dressed in green with red hair. I invented the stereotype, after all." I finally managed to calm down and speak without giggling.

"So, you're the first leprechaun?"

"Just as you're the first Witch of the Wind." I frowned, confused, but he continued on.

"Humans can imitate us as much as they want, but we are the originals. The legends exist because we exist, not the other way around. We create our own stories. Belief in a spirit cannot exist unless a spirit wants to be believed in."

"I guess that makes sense. I never really thought about it before…" He scoffed.

"What, do you think we choose to model ourselves after legends? We _are_ the legends. You'll see, if you stay in one place long enough, the people will begin telling stories about you. Maybe a ghost story, an urban legend, a myth."

"Wait, so does that mean every story is true? Like the ancient Greek myths or the… um…" I trailed off at his stare.

"Not all stories. Most, but not all." He grimaced. "Why would anyone wants those stories to be true? Their gods were cruel and disgusting at the best of times. Some beliefs you should be glad are unfounded in reality."

* * *

**I'm going to stop this chapter there, but keep your eyes open for the next chapter, It'll be much less boring I promise! As always, please review, follow and favorite if you're enjoying the story!**


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